New sets available at retailers before they show up on Lego S@H

[talos]

I have only been back into Lego since the beginning of this year, my 'dark ages' lasted from mid 1970's till a year or so ago, when I found the Architecture Series 'Robie House' and decided to get it. I think I have collected about 20 sets since then.

I have noticed though that new sets get released here in the USA, and I read about them here and other forums, but they don't seem to appear on the S@H site right away, they seem to be available at other retailers first. Is that usually the case? I would think they would want to have them available on the Lego site first, and then be available elsewhere. I guess its all marketing. I know enough to make sure I check prices at as many places as I can though! TRU seems to like having a couple sets at below SRP, but more of them at over SRP, got to do the research before buying, like for anything else.

[emilstorm]

I am not so up-to-date on Lego retailers, its been years since I have bought a set in a shop. But it has definably happened that sets were available in stores before at the lego site. I also remember seeing the Divers series (released in mid nineties i think) in a supermarket add about a month before it was available at toy stores. If I remember corrctly the series was released in january and the supermarket sold it in december.

[talos]

I have only bought online up till now too, so was not up to date on retailers and how it all works on new sets. Here in the USA, I was reading a lot of people were buying the 'Arctic' sets already at places like Toys R Us, and they are not on the Lego Shop@Home site yet, so I took a trip down to my local Toys R Us and they didn't have anything at all. Just my luck, I won't bother doing that again I think. I prefer to gather VIP points anyway.

[BlueberryWaffles]

TRU is known to get sets a few weeks early. Most of us don't get them though because they jack up the prices.

[KringlesBricks]

Target always got the new sets weeks in advance before the official "sale-date" or when it became available online S@H. Unloading the truck in the mornings I was like a kid in a candy store when those boxes of NEW sets came fresh off the truck :classic: Too bad we had to back stock them because we couldn't set the product until the date stamped on the box ... Maybe TLG wants to be sure it hits retailers before going live online with new products??

[Legoaholic]

I bought a couple of the series two mixel sets in the lego store on friday and haevent seen them in other stores yet, i thought they were'nt being released til June. But i'm new to lego and live in the UK so it might be different here.

[Sir_Basil_Ashton]

In my experience some retailers have sets out before they show up on S@H. It doesn't matter to me since I only buy LEGO on sale. The only exception I make is battle packs for my kids.

[weavil]

Went to my Toys R Us and they had some of the new stuff. Even a few of the small Technic sets. The LEGO Technic site still says 8/4 for availability. So I bought some! And some mixels.

[ZootyCutie]

Seems like Target is really early when it comes to Mixels. Managed to snag practically all of my Series 3 choices there when they weren't even in the Lego Store. Heck, the ones at Target were so new that they were actually still on the endcap hook, just placed right in the box! Conversely, seems like other stores are the best at having backlogs, the Walmart and Meijer's I go to still have Series 2 (and even a couple Series 1!), though Series 3 is still strewn throughout.